The Field General

As we approach Super Sunday, most of us have had our teams bow out early. After a surprising win over the Patriots two years ago, the Giants did not even make the playoffs this year. Dallas won their first playoff game but exited the next week when they came up against Brett Favre and the Vikings. The Patriots are starting to show their age and the lack of top-quality draft picks, due to their three Super Bowl rings in the last decade, has not helped. They made an early exit against the Ravens led by Ray Rice. Foxborough did not provide much of a home-field advantage this year.

The Jets were the Cinderella team with a trash-talking coach and a rookie quarterback, at least for the first half against the Colts, but came crashing back to earth in the second half as Peyton Manning, the Field General, picked them apart. We are left with the underdog New Orleans Saints playing in their first-ever Super Bowl and the Indianapolis Colts. A friend of mine, Walter Callender, who generally reads this blog for my wine picks, wrote to me, &#8220;When are you going to make the call? My heart is with the Saints, but my wallet&#8217;s with the Colts!&#8221;

Here goes&#8230;Peyton Manning is without question, for me, the best quarterback to play the game since the legendary Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers. Manning is in complete control on the field and is constantly using audibles to change the plays based on the defense he sees when he gets to the line of scrimmage. While Drew Brees has demonstrated excellence, particularly this season, I am going with the Manning-led Colts, who have been here before, by a touchdown, 7+ points.